New Kitchens

[burners19]

Hello All,

 

I need to put a small kitchen in a new house.  I'm new to CM and don't really know where to start.  Can any of you shed some light on these different stores re quality and value?  Personal experience would be most appreciated.  Thanks

 

• Index (http://www.indexlivingmall.com)
• Homikitch (www.homikitch.com) 
• Kvik (www.kvik.co.th)
• Kitchen Cultures (kitchencultures.com)
• HomePro
• Boonthavorn (www.boonthavorn.com/kitchen/)

Edited September 1, 2016 by burners19

[MadMac]

You could try Boontavorn. Huge mall at the Superhighway, just after the 121 passing towards the city. Mayby not the cheapest but you could look around what you like. 

http://www.boonthavorn.com/kitchen/

[burners19]

Thanks MM ...  I have seen Boonthavorn I'll add it to my list and check it out.  Not independently wealthy, tho I will say, quality rates above price.

[MadMac]

One more, probably the biggest DIY store around (although not sure about kitchens) is UbonWatsadu / DoHome on the 11 down to Lamphun, 6km after the Thai Watsadu (Iook there too). On the side of the highway towards Chiang Mai, orange themed.

[burners19]

Going to need a good DIY store anyway, will do. Plus I'm near Saraphi so that works.  Thanks MM.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

We just built one Thai style..  Which is mostly brick and concrete with holes for the under-counter doors (they're not actually cabinets) nad then some actual cabinets on top from Global House, Home Sukhapan, etc..

 

That goes like this:

 

 

 

 

 

And then inevitably #$(&#cking it up.. .both my choice of tile as well as the execution..:

 

 

 

So then you just rip it all out and try again..

 

 

But then somehow it comes together in the end.  

 

 

So that's most affordable, if you don't mind a couple gray hairs on the way.

 

It even looks like the design, pretty much.

 

Edited September 2, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[MadMac]

That worked out pretty cool. Sooner or later we have to replace ours too, the wood gets old. Gives me some ideas. Thanks!

[sappersrest]

Defiantly the way to go  so the worst thing that can happen if you get  invaded by the dreaded termites the only thing you will loose is the doors.

[CharlieH]

Its an idea to get whoever to put the shelves in those base cupboards too, its alot easier done before the cupboard doors are fitted. as the apertures are smaller than the cavity/hole behind, or you'll end up with stuff stacked on the floor, big hole and just floor space.

 

Just a suggestion.

[Dante99]

2 hours ago, sappersrest said:

Defiantly the way to go  so the worst thing that can happen if you get  invaded by the dreaded termites the only thing you will loose is the doors.

If somebody is using the kitchen, they will see the termite trails before damage is done if they are plugged in.

[MadMac]

Not really, they cover their tracks very well. We had them once in Singapore in a terrace house in the under the stairs storage. When we discovered them it was too late, they ate everything, even plastics. The current wooden kitchen in CNX also has some trails under the sink from the previous owner. You don't look at these spots, until it is too late. Even though you regularly put poison everywhere. I just found some behind the house that were digesting an old bamboo table.  

[Aussie69]

Eat out - cheaper

[NancyL]

One big problem with the "Thai style" design (as shown) is that there isn't a place for the front part of your foot to go under the cabinets when you work at the counter or wash the dishes.  You end up bending over the counter and getting a sore lower back.  

 

This photo shows a modular kitchen design mounted on a base where there's room for the feet and comfort during working.  However, it does have one feature (very common here) that drive me nuts.  For some reason, most refrigerators have handles on the left side.  Then why put it on the left side of the kitchen?  Wouldn't it have been better located on the right side of the kitchen?  Just asking.....

 

And most microwaves open on the right side.  The microwave should have been placed on the left side of the kitchen.....  just thinking ......

[MadMac]

I believe you can move the handles on either side. Just a few screws.

[stament]

you cant on most fridges we were told by the shiwroom staff recently. hardly any are chaneable apparently

[MadMac]

Probably the showroom staff missed the related training, or were playing on their phones when this was explained

Edited September 3, 2016 by MadMac

[manfredtillmann]

14 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Probably the showroom staff missed the related training, or were playing on their phones when this was explained

in the not so distant past fridges and ovens had inter - changeable doors / hinges.

for most brands, incl. the top priced miele and gaggenau etc., you have to order left hand / right hand.

 

[stament]

20 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Probably the showroom staff missed the related training, or were playing on their phones when this was explained

 

I dont think so mac as they did point out the only one which they said was changeable. It wasnt any good for us a as too big. I think it was an LG from memory

[stament]

6 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said:

in the not so distant past fridges and ovens had inter - changeable doors / hinges.

for most brands, incl. the top priced miele and gaggenau etc., you have to order left hand / right hand.

 

 

A lot of things used to be better. I am sure its all uniform now as cheaper to build them like that. Lower cost dictates design rather than flexibility and customer choice.

Edited September 3, 2016 by stament
typo

[manfredtillmann]

here are images of a '36 - all -drawers' kitchen, incl. corner cabinets. no bending, crawling, searching in the musky dark. it was nice to work in.

i re - organised my pathetic thai kitchen to have everything i need often to be hanging of the wall now.

[burners19]

Thanks Winnie for that post - the final result was great !!  Most of my projects run just like yours did - twice as long and twice as many materials because of the "start over" once I find the snags.

 

Manfred, can you tell me more?  The transformation is eye-watering !!  Was that  custom built ?  If so, by who?  If not, where did you go?  

 

 

[manfredtillmann]

Just now, burners19 said:

Thanks Winnie for that post - the final result was great !!  Most of my projects run just like yours did - twice as long and twice as many materials because of the "start over" once I find the snags.

 

Manfred, can you tell me more?  The transformation is eye-watering !!  Was that  custom built ?  If so, by who?  If not, where did you go?  

 

 

transformation? are you having a lend of me? sorry, born german, no good with jokes.

[burners19]

Oh wait ... I think I misunderstood !!  The top photos were your kitchen in Europe and the bottom photo is your "new' kitchen  - is that right ??

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by burners19

[manfredtillmann]

2 minutes ago, burners19 said:

Oh wait ... I think I misunderstood !!  The top photos were your kitchen in Europe and the bottom photo is your "new' kitchen  - is that right ??

 

why make fun of it? the top photos where of my last australian kitchen. it was expensive but extremely practical.

the last photo is of something i am dealing with now. it also allows me to cook food and it's price tag was 95% lower than the flashy thing i had before.

in domestic home building the two most difficult tasks for the clients are deciding how to lay - out kitchen and bathrooms. as non of the fixtures can be changed easily people are often stuck with decisions they made weeks before they ended up using the finished product.

there is a reason why bathroom and kitchen renovations are the most lucrative building alteration businesses.

my post intended to offer options. nothing else.

today, most of my food is cooked on a charcoal clay - bbq.

 

[burners19]

Thanks ... 95% cheaper :-).  My compliments on your Australian kitchen !!  And clay BBQ ... yeah baby !!

[MadMac]

The difference probably is you can afford to eat 95% outside compared to Australia and still save money

[manfredtillmann]

1 hour ago, MadMac said:

The difference probably is you can afford to eat 95% outside compared to Australia and still save money

the difference is that i now know what i really need. my present wife can cook the most delicious food on the set - up of pix #4...

 

[scorecard]

On 9/2/2016 at 5:51 PM, sappersrest said:

Defiantly the way to go  so the worst thing that can happen if you get  invaded by the dreaded termites the only thing you will loose is the doors.

 

Lots of those doors and frames now available total plastic, some look quite good design / nice texture/ good quality appearance, etc. 

 

Neighbor did the same but had a good Thai tradesman make it all so that the door frames were blended fully into the tiles, rather than totally on top of the tile work (the outer upright structure walls I mean). Took extra time, the tradesman clearly knew what he was doing, no visible raw concrete anywhere, all total white (tiles, frames, doors).

 

They used bigger doors than you mostly see (for more access into the cupboards), tradesman also paid attention to well finished inner walls and total sealing at the bottom so water on kitchen floor cannot go under the tiles and into the concrete.

 

About 5,000Baht more all up, but very big kitchen with many cupboards on 3.5 walls.  

 

I will repeat same later when we need to replace the wood stuff we currently have, guess about 4 years from now.  

Edited September 3, 2016 by scorecard

[burners19]

We recently remodelled our kitchen in France.  It was done by a local artisan.  There are no more shelves, rather these very smooth, fluid drawers made by an Austrian company called Blum (www.blum.com/th/en/01/).  Surprisingly practical and well made !!  As it turns out Blum has a supplier in Bangkok.  Have any of you run across these products in CM?  Either used by custom builder / installers or modular, ready to install cabinets.   I'm thinking these products could work well with the build it Thai Kitchens as well.

 

[scorecard]

Friend in Pattaya has the drawers shown in the photos and they are also fitted with a mechanism which assists full closure of the drawers after you manually start closing the drawer.

 

Fully imported, cost a fortune, fitted about 4 years back by a new kitchen company which went bankrupt within a few months. 

Edited September 11, 2016 by scorecard